NEWS

Summer at the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery focuses on artistic representations of Port Phillip Bay and its fascinating stories, histories and events.

Sea of dreams: Port Phillip Bay 1915–2013 (Part two) is a broad chronological survey of major Australian artists whose works are closely associated with the bay. In addition to sumptuous 'blue and gold' views of the coastline created by celebrated artists including Fred McCubbin, Arthur Streeton and Penleigh Boyd, the exhibition includes modern works by Clarice Beckett, Arthur Boyd and Sidney Nolan. A number of these paintings document the changing physical topography and presence of distinct artistic communities as well as illustrate the important role of nostalgia, memory and association. Anxiety and fear of the sea; the reaction to environmental disasters such as the 1989 Coode Island Chemical Fires; the formation of distinct cultural identities and the development of new ways of looking at, and responding to, increased urbanisation and transport networks in and around the Bay also feature through the inclusion of an exciting cross-section of recent and contemporary Australian art.

Sea of dreams comprises approximately 70 paintings, drawings and prints sourced from major public, private and corporate collections throughout Australia. It features many rarely seen gems, some of which have only come to light.